Boat propelling and steering apparatus



(No Model.)

HERMANS. K BOAT PROPELLING AND STE'EQEING APPARATUS. No. 879,014 A Patented Mag. 8, 1888.

N. PETERS. Phnlo-Lmogrlpher. Washington. no.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

JOHN HERMANS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOAT PROPELLING AND ST EERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,014, dated March 6, 1888.

Application filed September 6, 1887. Serial No. 248,943. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HERMANS, of Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boat Propelling and Steering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel boat propelling and steering device; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating a boat provided with a hand propelling device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, taken upon line a; m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the stern of the boat, showing the propeller supports or bearings. Fig. isa plan view of the rear part of the boat shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the steering apparatus. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail plan view taken upon line y y of Fig. 1. Fig.6 is a detail section taken upon line 2 z of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail section taken upon line 00 w of Fig. 2.

As illustrated in the said drawings, A is the hull of a boat, which may be of any usual or preferred construction and which is provided with the usual rudder, B.

G G are two propeller-shafts arranged parallel with each other near the bottom of the boat and extending outwardly through the hull'at the rear end of the latter in a familiar manner. In the particular construction of the parts illustrated the shafts O O are supported at their rear ends in bearings cl, supported upon brackets D, extending outwardly at either side of the rear part or keel of the boat. Said shafts are furthermore herein shown as inclosed within horizontal tubes ,0 G, which pass through and are secured in the hull of the boat at their rear ends and are provided at their forward ends with glands c c, to pre-. vent leakage of water into the boat.

The propelling device proper comprises the following parts:

E is the frame of said propelling device, upon which is mounted a horizontal drivingshaft, F, arranged parallel with and above the propelling-shafts G O. Uponvsaid shaft F is mounted a sprocket-wheel, F, around which passes a link-belt, G, which belt engages two sprocket-wheels, G G, affixed to the propelling-shafts G O. The sprocket-wheels G G are desirably madeconsiderably smaller than the wheel F, thereby giving a high rate of speed to the propeller compared with the speed of rotation of the driving-shaft F.

H H are two horizontal shafts mounted in suitable bearings upon the frame E at right angles to and adjacent to either end of the shaft F. Said shafts H H are provided with beveled gearsh h, which intermesh with similar gears, ff, upon the shaft F. Each of the shafts H H is provided at its ends with handcranks H H, which may be grasped by the person or persons within the boat for the purpose of rotating the shafts H H, and thereby actuating the propeller-shafts through the medium of the gearing above described.

To enable the hand-cranksH to be adjusted to give a throw convenient for the person operating the propelling apparatus, said cranks H H are herein shown as having adjustable connection with the shaft. The particular means of adjusting said cranks illustrated consists of short arms H upon the shaft, which arms are grooved upon their outer faces to receive the crank-arms, which latter are adjustably held in place in the grooves by means of metal rings H encircling the arms H" and the crank-arms and provided with set-screws h, bearing against the crank-arms and holding them firmly in engagement with the said arms H of the shaft.

The apparatus shown is provided with two shafts H H, each having two cranks, so that two persons may Work together in driving the boat, one operating the cranks belonging to one shaft and the other the two cranks belonging to the other shaft. In order, however, to enable one person to operate the driving-gear without the necessity of turning the cranks which are idle at such time, the driving-gear connecting each of said shafts H H with the shaft F is herein shown as adapted for disengagement at the will of the operator.

In the particular constructionillustrated a' IOO detachable driving-connection between the shafts H H and the shaft F is formed by means of movable bearings for the shafts H H, enabling said shafts to be moved away from the gears ff a sufficient distance to disengage the gears h h therefrom.

h h in the drawings represent the bearings of the shaft H, said bearings being supported upon a U-shaped frame, E, attached to the frame F. The said frame-arms E E are slotted, and the bearings h It are held thereon by means of threaded shanks 71?, attached to the said bearings h and extending through the slots of the frame-arms, said shanks being provided with thumb-nuts If hflwhereby the bearings may be clamped firmly in place after they have been moved.

The frame of the driving-gear illustrated is made as follows: Said frame consists of two parallel frame-pieces, E E, which are located upon opposite sides of the wheel F and are made generally alike and are connected by cross girts or braces e c c. Thelower or base portion of each of the frame-pieces E consists of two parallel angle-irons, E E between which is formed a horizontal slot, e within which blocks 0' c, forming the bearings of the propeller-shafts, are inserted and secured. Said bearing-blocks c 0 may be placed at any points or distance apart desired within the slots 6 6", thereby enabling the same frame to be used in different boats or in a boat having either one or two propellers.

The particular construction shown in means for securing the bearing'blocks in place within the slots e c is more clearly seen in Fig. 7. As illustrated in said figure, the block 0 is provided with flanges e e, which extend over the adjacent edges of the angle-bars E E, and plates 0 are secured by bolts 6 against the opposite faces of said blocks, said plates being arranged to overlap and bear against the adjacent parts of the angle-bars, whereby the said blocks c 0 may be firmly clamped in place by tightening the bolts The upper portions of the frame-pieces E E comprise two upright parallel bars, E E, secured at their lower ends to the uppermost of the two bars E E and connected at their upper ends by suitable cross-pieces or filling-blocks. Inclined or brace bars E' aro shown as extending from the outer ends of the bars E to the up per ends of the said bars E" to sustain the latter rigidly in place. The arms or brackets E, which support the shafts H H, are attached to the vertical frame-bars E E in such manner that they may be easily adjusted vertically upon the frame, the particular attaching devices herein shown being made as follows: Each of said brackets E E is provided with a depending arm, E, adapted to enter between the vertical frame-bars E E and provided at one side of said framebars with flanges c c", engaging the adjacent edges of the said bars. At the opposite edges of the bars a plate, E is placed across the latter and is bolted to the arm 13 in such manner as to bear against the frame-bars and clamp the latter between said plate and the flanges c e. Said arms or brackets E are constructed to form bearings f for the shaft F, which shaft passes through the space or slot formed between and by the parallel frame-bars E E. The main purpose of making the said brackets E E, together with the shafts F and H carried thereby,vertieally adjustable upon the frame is to enable the said several parts to be adjusted in vertical position according to the particular requirements of the boat in which the propelling device is placed, and also to enable the chain belt to be easily tightened about the sprocketwheels in putti ng the parts together.

The propeller-shafts C C are herein shown as provided with balance-wheels J J, which may be employed to give greater smoothness and steadiness to the motion of the propellers as the latter are rotated in p ropcllin g the boat.

The steering device employed in connection with the propelling apparatus illustrated is made as follows: Iis a revolving scatlocated in proper position for the person operating one of the pair of cranks H H of the propelling apparatus. Attached to opposite sides of said seat are horizontal arms 2' i,which extend outward toward opposite sides of the boat. Secured to the extremity of said arms are two ropes or cords, I I, which are attached at their rear ends to a tiller, B, secured to the post I) of the rudder B. In the particular construction herein shown the seat I is attached to the upper end of a screw-shaft, 6, having bearings in a screw-socket, I", which is rigidly attached to a stationary cross-piece or thwart, I, of the boat.

The steering device described is operated by the person sitting upon the seat I and operating one of the sets of cranks, such person obviously being able to move the rudder to the right or left, as desired, by moving or swinging his body in such manner as to turn the seat supporting him.

I do not limit my invention to a propelling apparatus embracing two propeller-shafts, inasmuch as the same features of construction herein shown and claimed may be employed in connection with an apparatus having only one propeller and shaft.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the supportingframe of a boat-propelling apparatus and a propeller shaft, of a horizontal shaft, F, mounted in said frame above and parallel with the propeller-shaft, pulleys upon said propeller-shaft and shaft F, and a driving-belt placed over'said pulleys, and two transverse shafts mounted in bearings adjustably secured upon the said frame and detachably connected by gearing with the shaft F, whereby one or both of said transverse shafts may be disconnected from the shaft F, as described.

2. The combination, with the supportingframe of a boat-propelling apparatus 'and a propeller shaft, of a horizontal shaft, F,

mounted in said frame above and parallel with thepropeller-shaft,pulleys upon said propellershaft and shaft F, a driving-belt placed over said pulleys, a transverse shaft connected by gearing with the shaft F and provided with a hand crank or cranks, and bearings for said shaft F and for the transverse shaft having vertically-adjustable connection with the said frame, substantially as described.

3. A hand propelling apparatus for boats, comprising two propeller-shafts and adrivingpulley, aframehaving atransverselyarranged horizontal slot at its lower portion, laterallyinovable bearings for said propeller-shafts adjustably secured in said horizontal slot, and a I5 driving-belt passing around the driving-pulley and both propeller-shafts, whereby the propellersh'afts may be adjusted laterally to tighten or loosen the driving-belt, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN HERMANS.

Witnesses:

L. MAASSEN, STANrsLAUs SZWAJKART. 

